


Ties Don't Have Lights

by IreneSpring



Category: Law & Order: SVU
Genre: Barisi Valentine's Cliché Challenge, Established Relationship, Fluff, Gift Giving, Joke Ties, M/M, Snow, prompt 9
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-02-25
Updated: 2021-02-25
Packaged: 2021-03-16 14:33:53
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,099
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29702016
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/IreneSpring/pseuds/IreneSpring
Summary: When a snow storm strands Rafael and Sonny at the precinct, ruining their Valentine's Day-adjacent plans, they have to create a backup plan.Prompt: "Where's the romance gone?"
Relationships: Rafael Barba/Dominick "Sonny" Carisi Jr.
Comments: 6
Kudos: 32
Collections: Barisi Valentine’s Cliché Challenge





	Ties Don't Have Lights

**Author's Note:**

> This is the second to last of these prompts. I feel oddly sad. I'll post the last one either the 27th or the 28th (living on the edge).

It’s two days before Valentine’s Day, their customary day of couple celebration. Rafael had plans. He had big plans involving drawing a portrait of Sonny. He bought special artistic paper from the art store, instead of on Amazon. He bought special pencils. He learned how to make Sonny’s favorite pasta, and was going to make it for him before the drawing. He even watched  _ Titanic  _ so he could make terrible movie references he knows Sonny would have loved. It was going to be romantic and perfect and everything Sonny deserved.

But they’re snowed in. At the precinct.

At least they’re snowed in at the same building. Rafael showed up early for what promised to be an all-day briefing on an irritatingly complicated blackmail case. And as soon as he stepped inside, he could have sworn the first snowflakes started falling. It was still snowing now, long after the sun had set. The kind of snow that piled up on the streets and froze the metro tracks. 

Rafael has long since run out of things to do, so he finds himself pacing around the interview room he had been given for relative privacy. He stares out the window, trying to telepathically get the snow to stop. He just wants to go home and celebrate with his boyfriend. That’s a simple request, nowhere near as lofty as some of his other goals. Rafael deserves that.

Nature does not hear his pleas. Rafael wonders if Sonny is also finished with work. Maybe they could curl up near the heater. That’s at least sort of a couple’s activity. Rafael decides to find out. With a sigh, he wanders towards the bullpen. On his way, he passes a vending machine. Sonny needs to eat. There’s no food in the precinct fridge and they obviously can’t get takeout. He sighs, checking his pockets for money and feeling relief when he finds several quarters. His disorganization does occasionally work out for him. He continues his quest to find Sonny armed with Doritos, a Coke, and some gummy bears. 

Sonny’s face lights up when he sees Rafael, and even after two years Rafael doesn’t know how to respond when that happens. He just walks closer and awkwardly holds out his offerings.

“Here.” Sonny laughs as he takes the snacks from Rafael.

“I guess two years is all it takes for effort to go by the wayside,” he says jokingly. “Where’s the romance gone?” Rafael scowls at him and snatches back the gummy bears.

“The romance isn’t  _ gone _ ,” he objects. “It’s just at the apartment.”

“You had plans, Rafi?”

“I did.”

“What were they?”

“You’ll never know. But they required a lot of effort.”

“I believe you,” Sonny’s expression softens into a smitten smile. It’s an odd scene, the besotted look on Sonny’s face contrasting with the harsh lighting, the messy precinct, and the bag of Doritos. Rafael still likes it. “I assume my gift is at the apartment?” Sonny asks. Rafael nods. 

“In a manner of speaking.”

“Ooh, cryptic. I like it.” Rafael rolls his eyes. 

“What about my gift?” Rafael asks. 

“Well, that’s why I bring it up. You see, I was worried you would find my gifts, so I just kept them in a box with me. Do you want them now?”

“Yes,” Rafael says, searching Sonny’s frame for evidence of a box. He likes gifts. He wants to see what Sonny got him. He has half a mind to start patting his boyfriend down in the middle of the precinct when Sonny takes out the box, wrapped with red paper and a pink bow. Rafael carefully removes the wrapping paper and opens his present. Inside is a red tie with what looks like small, clear, plastic orbs around the edge. It comes pre-tied, and the knot area seems a little heavier than usual.

“It has a switch,” Sonny clarifies, taking the tie and turning it on. Turning it on. Ties should not need to be turned on. Rafael watches in horror as the entire border of the tie lights up. The orbs are lights. The lights are pink. 

“Sonny. Ties do not have lights,” Rafael manages to say, staring at the tie as if there’s something to be understood that he has not quite grasped.

“This one does.” Rafael looks at Sonny, then back at the tie. It’s funny. It’s a funny gift. But Rafael can’t help but be disappointed. He had a whole elaborate plan. A deeply personal and romantic plan. And Sonny got him a joke tie. Trying to force himself to laugh, Rafael shrugs his shoulders.

“You bought me a light-up tie and you ask  _ me  _ where the romance went?” Rafael asks, putting all the effort he can into making his chuckle genuine. He knows he’s failing, that Sonny can read him by now. But Sonny doesn’t look worried. Sonny has an amused smile on his face.

“Raf. Look closer at the box.” Rafael stares at the box, turning it in his hands and bringing it closer to his face. Then he sees it. A flash of green. Rafael reaches out. The small green spot feels like fabric. The box has a secret level. Rafael excitedly pulls up the false bottom to reveal a deep green silk tie. It’s beautiful. It could work with so many of his suits. He had just been complaining to Sonny how he had been having difficulty finding the right shade. This is the right shade. Sonny doesn’t know all the best places to buy ties. This must have taken him hours to find… and he let Rafael believe he had gotten him a cheap polyester light-up tie. 

“Bastard,” Rafael whispers.

“Look on the back, Raf.” Rafael furrows his brow and turns the tie over. Written in small gold embroidery on the side is  _ Always and forever -S _ . Rafael looks up at Sonny, and he knows he must look pathetic, with wide eyes and his mouth partially open. But he doesn’t know what to do. He doesn’t know what to say. 

He cannot cry. All of the detectives are here, coming and going. And he has a reputation to maintain. He cannot cry. So he has to put all his energy into  _ not crying _ .

“You okay, Barba?” Rollins. Dammit Rollins. Rafael looks at Sonny, and then carefully tilts his head towards Rollins, trying to school his expression into nonchalance.

“Fine,” he manages.

“It’s a bummer about your and Carisi’s day, huh?” Rafael doesn’t think he’s ever heard anything more inaccurate than describing today’s course of events as  _ a bummer. _

“Don’t worry, Detective. Everything is working out.”

**Author's Note:**

> I hope you liked "Rollins foiling Rafael's ability to show emotion around Sonny without being mocked" because it will show up again later tonight for my Purim fic. That will be posted at the start of Purim, so probably around 6:00 this evening.
> 
> I know that some people prefer strictly at least sort of canon compliant fics, but I would love it if you checked out my Purim fic when it's up. Come for the fluff, stay for the interesting facts about an under-appreciated Jewish holiday.


End file.
